Trailers are widely used to transport various materials. For example, tipper trailers and walking floor trailers are widely used to transport particulate bulk material such as gravel, stone, grain, and road salt. Dump trailers are also used for transporting such material, as well as other material such as garbage.
Some trailers have a top opening for loading of materials into the trailer. Such trailers may loaded from through a top opening of the trailer using a loader or directly from a feed source such as an overhead chute. A tarp or other sheet covering is commonly used to cover the top opening of the trailer while the trailer is towed to its destination. Tie-downs such as bungees, ropes, or straps are commonly used to tie down the tarp to secure it in place while the trailer is in motion.
Some common problems with the use of tarps in this way is that they are subject to damage by puncturing or otherwise by contact with the contents of the trailer, they may become loose and shift out of a desired covering position, and they are cumbersome and time-consuming to mount and unmount from the trailer.
Alternatively, a trailer may be provided with one or more top doors which may be closed to protect the loaded material from contamination or from being disturbed or blown about or out of the trailer during transport. Each top door is typically mounted to the container along an adjoining upper edge of a sidewall of the container by means of a number of hinges.
When a trailer is provided with top doors, however, it is desirable for the top doors to be weatherproof such that the top doors are resilient to varying weather conditions, and moreover prevent water from entering the trailer container.
In general, it is desirable for trailers to have a construction and to be made of materials which are both durable and as light as possible to provide both longevity against rough handling as well as optimal fuel economy. Given the tight turnaround times typically faced in cargo hauling using trailers, it is desirable to be able to repair any damage as quickly as possible.
There is therefore a material value in addressing the above deficiencies of conventional open-top trailers and tarp tie-down methods.